TELLUS REQUIEM — Invictus (The 11th Hour) (review)

TELLUS REQUIEM — Invictus (The 11th Hour) album cover Album · 2013 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
Eden burns...

Genre: progressive metal

Norway has a lot of other types of music to offer than just black metal, for which the country is probably best known. Tellus Requiem, for example, is a progressive metal band in the vein of Dream Theater, and they probably represent an area of the Noregian rock scene which is not as internationally revered as its black metal scene, but which nonetheless produces quality music in large.

"Invictus (The 11th Hour)" features progressive metal which is akin to Dream Theater, but no as technical or quirky, but nevertheless just as sophisticated. There is also somewhat of an influence from power metal on this album, which is mostly prevalent in the choruses. While there are plenty of mellow passages and ballady elements, the songs are primarily riff-driven, many riffs being more straightforward and others more quirky - some even border on being aggressive, while others remind me a bit of Cynic's trademark style guitar figures. The album is generally very enjoyable and takes the listener through a variety of musical expressions - from thrash to symphonic rock - without ever losing focus.

Needless to say, the musicianship is impeccable across the board, and the listener is treated to both impressive guitar solos and keyboard solos, while the drumming is dynamic in many places. Like I mentioned, Tellus Requiem's music on this album is in the vein of Dream Theater's brand of progressive metal, but Tellus Requiem are by no means copycats. "Invictus (The 11th Hour)" focuses more on accessible, but sophisticated, song structures and melody, and is - for my money - a very original release.

Fans of progressive metal should definitely check it out.
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